The final will be good - Arsenal v. Barcelona. Past two finals have been won by real outsiders, so Arsenal could well do it, but I can't see players like Eboue, Toure and Senderos having enough to stop players like Ronaldinho, Messi, Eto'o etc. Barcelona also have more players with big game experience.

Oh, but it would be so sweet if Arsenal win and knock the cheating Spurs out of their Champions League spot for next season. That would rock!

Especially since your friends in London changed the rules for the CL so now Arsenal would automatically qualify and not have to play in the prelim rounds. Gee, the FA bending over backwards to help the Arse but not helping Liverpool...

It should be fun with Ronaldinho and Henry on the same pitch. Hopefully both teams come out attacking and trying to score instead of playing negative football.

Rocco wrote:Especially since your friends in London changed the rules for the CL so now Arsenal would automatically qualify and not have to play in the prelim rounds. Gee, the FA bending over backwards to help the Arse but not helping Liverpool...

Rocco wrote:Especially since your friends in London changed the rules for the CL so now Arsenal would automatically qualify and not have to play in the prelim rounds. Gee, the FA bending over backwards to help the Arse but not helping Liverpool... That rule was changed in the offseason by UEFA, no? (It's in the 2005/06 CL Regulations: http://www.uefa.com/newsfiles/19071.pdf)

Honestly, you really think Arsenal thought they'd ever even be in this situation. Please.

Well, the FA said during the 2003-04 season that if either Arsenal or Chelsea won the CL, they'd automatically get in. They conveniently forgot about that rule the next year when LFC were in 5th and going through the CL, and then were embarrassed by their own website.

And no, I don't think Arsenal ever thought they'd be looking up at Spurs. But it's nice to have friends in high places, just in case.

Rocco wrote:It should be fun with Ronaldinho and Henry on the same pitch. Hopefully both teams come out attacking and trying to score instead of playing negative football.Barca are not Villareal. No way Arsenal will play a Final the way they played the SF second leg.

I don't blame Arsenal for playing defensively last game- that's what you do in Europe, and after watching Liverpool beat Chelsea last year by scoring a goal early and then not crossing mid-field for the rest of the game, I can't complain. I merely hope both teams play to win and not in fear of the other team and give us a good, entertaining match. Not as entertaining as last year's though.

There's another England v. Spain battle in the UEFA Cup - Middlesbrough vs. Sevilla in the final. Which might hold more significance, particularly for Steve McClaren - if his Boro side win, he is almost certain of the England management post.

It would be good for the Premiership if both Arsenal and Middlesbrough were to win their finals, however it would be a tad unfair on Tottenham were they to be denied of a Champions League place. Still it could be a lot worse - in the Netherlands, there is a possible scenario in which the fifth place team makes a Champions League qualifier and the second, third and fourth don't make any competition at all.